Lisa Dell’Alba
Lisa Dell’Alba, President and CEO
Square One Markets
June 30, 1978 – February 16, 2025
Lisa Dell’Alba was born into the world of retail at Square One Markets. As a young child her father encouraged her to forge her own path before coming to work in the family business. In 2004, Lisa joined the team at Square One Markets and fell in love with the industry immediately.
Dell’Alba’s role in the family business led to management of multi-facilities, category manager and later catapulted her into the position of human resource director. She assumed the title of vice president of operations at the age of 28, where she developed innovative concepts such as a team-based approach to operations management, a redefinition of customer service excellence and implemented the concept of multi-person interviews to strengthen her team’s approach to operations. She became president of Square One Markets in 2009 and strived for the core values that have been a part of the family business for over four decades. Her hands-on approach to all facets of the operation led her into new programs, policies and challenges that give her the job satisfaction each and every day.
Lisa passed away on February 16, 2025.
"I will always remember Lisa as a force to be reckoned with—a true professional in every sense of the word. She was determined, and dedicated, approaching every challenge with confidence and a commitment to excellence. Her leadership was evident through her service on state association committees and boards, foundation initiatives, and her contributions to the NACS board and committees, culminating in her planned journey to becoming NACS Chairman.
Beyond her professional achievements, Lisa’s warmth and generosity left a lasting impact on all of us. She had an unforgettable smile and a heart of gold, always the first to support challenging causes, celebrate successes, and remind us that work was about more than results—it was about people. A couple of examples include her passion for teaching and mentoring NACS’ Leadership for Success Program, along with her unwavering commitment to supporting underserved communities and individuals with disabilities.
Lisa had a rare ability to inspire, and uplift those around her, leaving behind an industry that will forever cherish the privilege of having known her."
-Donald Rhoads
President/CEO, The Convenience Group, LLC
Heather Davis
Heather Davis, Senior Director of Food Service
Parker’s Kitchen
Heather Davis serves as the Senior Director of Food Service at Parker’s Kitchen, where she drives operational excellence and enhances customer loyalty through innovative leadership and a commitment to quality. In this strategic role, Heather oversees food service operations across over 100 locations, ensuring alignment with corporate goals while delivering outstanding quality and customer satisfaction.
Heather is committed to culinary excellence, working alongside her team to refine menu offerings and analyze performance for profitability. She plays a key role in adopting advanced technologies to drive operational efficiencies and enhance customer the experience.
She has successfully led the launch of new menu items such as Parker’s Fried Chicken Tender Sandwich and has expanded grab-and-go offerings to include fresh salads, sandwiches, and desserts.
Parker’s is known for its technologically driven efficiencies, and Heather has worked with the Parker’s Technology team to implement the innovative SmartKitchen, which allows Parker’s Kitchen to predict food demand, keeping food fresh and stocked for customers while reducing waste. Additionally, she served on the team that rolled out customer-facing ordering kiosks to Parker’s Kitchen locations.
Recognized for her leadership skills, Heather mentors a high-performing team, fostering a collaborative and results-oriented environment. Her commitment to compliance and food safety ensures that all operations meet or exceed industry standards.
Prior to joining Parker’s Kitchen, Heather held operational leadership positions within the food service industry, where she developed a deep understanding of consumer behavior and market trends.
Heather is passionate about delivering exceptional food experiences and positioning Parker’s Kitchen as a leader in the industry. She was recognized as a TWIC Rising Star by Convenience Store News in 2021.
Jon Cox
Jon Cox, Vice President Fresh and Own Brands
McLane Company, Inc.
Jon Cox is vice president of retail foodservice for McLane Company, Inc., one of the largest distributors in America serving convenience stores, mass merchants, and chain restaurants. Jon leads McLane’s foodservice strategy for its retail customers, driving innovation and helping customers implement programs tailored to their specific goals.
Jon oversees the McLane Fresh team, which manages the McLane Fresh suite of foodservice programs including Cupza!, McLane’s award-winning beverage program, Central Eats, fresh grab-and-go products for all dayparts, and the groundbreaking freezer to oven program, Prendisimo. Jon also led development and launch of McLane’s Innovation Kitchen, a full-scale c-store showcase for customers to explore the latest in foodservice menu and equipment innovation.
Jon joined McLane in 2023 and has more than 25 years of extensive leadership experience across retail, grocery, and convenience store organizations including Giant Food, HEB, Target, and Sears Holding Corporation. Prior to McLane he served as chief merchandising officer for Giant Eagle’s subsidiary Getgo Café + Market and WetGo.
Ed Collupy
Ed Collupy, Principal
Collupy System Solutions LLC
Ed has more than 40 years of retail systems experience in the convenience/petro (The Pantry) and grocery (Purity Supreme & Shaw’s) retail channels, including as a consultant at W. Capra Consulting Group providing strategic, operational, and project leadership to retailers, emerging businesses, and technology companies. His involvement in the industry continues as a Facilitator for various groups and as an independent consultant through Collupy System Solutions. He has served the Convenience/Petro industry as Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Conexxus and as a member of the NACS Convention Content Committee. Ed writes for trade publications, leads, and participates in on-line and in-person forums focused on retail technology. A New Englander at heart, he graduated from Suffolk University in Boston, attended Harvard’s Executive Education session, Delivering Information Services, and now living on Cape Cod he is very active in the community serving on various boards and committees.
Srijata Chattopadhyay
Srijata Chattopadhyay, VP: Americas EV Charging
Shell Recharge
Srijata Chattopadhyay is a leader in the clean energy space. Currently, she serves as the general manager of the EV charging business at Shell, which owns and operates over 4,000 chargers in North America. She and her team are accountable for the charging P&L, driver experience, digital product, and marketing. In the clean energy space, Srijata has been a member of the executive team at Volta Charging, worked in Google's energy services and renewables division, and at Tesla. In her decade in the industry, she has served in a wide range of functions - global strategy, capital markets, head of technology and head of deployment. Srijata holds a BA in Economics from Barnard College and an MBA from Wharton. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons (4 and 1).
Jeffrey Carpenter
Jeffrey Carpenter, Director
Cliff's Local Market
Starting his career in the convenience store industry, Carpenter joined the well-known Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes team, after graduating high school in 2005, while earning both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Syracuse University. Carpenter went on to teach publicly at a high-ranking ‘Newsweek School’ while still working with Nice N Easy, but after two years found his niche as Director of Education and Training with the well-known c-store brand.
During Carpenter’s time at Nice N Easy he grew into the role of Senior Director of Program Development overseeing multiple areas of the business. Nice N Easy was acquired by CST Brands in 2014 and Carpenter continued with the training and development team. When CST was acquired in 2017, he sustained his employment as Training Manager in the Great Lakes Business Unit of Circle K. Upon an opportunity to apply his expertise and remain local with Cliff’s Local Market in 2018, Carpenter gladly accepted a senior-level position where he has helped evolve the NY-based chain with 400+ employees.
A natural leader with a passion for his community, Jeff has also served as Trustee, as well as Deputy Mayor, in his local area. Carpenter is married and has two children.
Ben Burds
Ben Burds, Managing Partner
Kunoco Food Mart
Ben Burds, Managing Partner of Kunoco Food Marts (a four store c-store chain in St. Lawrence County, NY). Our company also includes a fuel delivery business for wholesale and retail clients.